HeaterMeals Lunch & Dinner Tray Entrees have a shelf-life of up to 2 years.
HeaterMeals Breakfasts & HeaterMeals Plus with snacks have a shelf-life of up to 1 year.
HeaterMeals 3 Pouch Entrees with snacks have a shelf-life of up to 3 years.
HeaterMeals EX Lunch & Dinner Pouch Entrees have a shelf-life of up to 5 years.

All HeaterMeals come with a "Please Use By" date stamped on each box.
These are recommended consumption dates only - not "safety dates".

This stamped date is up to two years for HeaterMeals Entrees, up to one year for HeaterMeals Plus, and up to three years for HeaterMeals 3, noting the optimum time to eat your HeaterMeals after packaging. Similar to properly stored canned food, HeaterMeals entrees lose a bit of color after the recommended consumption date; but are still nutritious and safe to consume after the date.

The following chart provides guidelines on shelf-life for HeaterMeals Entrees in trays and HeaterMeals 3 Entrees in pouches, when stored under a variety of temperatures. It is sometimes impossible to determine the temperature under which food has been stored, so the longer shelf-life listed can be attainable if the food has been kept under controlled conditions for the entire time period noted.

Note: HeaterMeals Lunch & Dinner Entrees are packaged in 12 to 13 ounce retort trays. HeaterMeals Plus Lunch & Dinner Meal Kits also are 12 to 13 ounce retort entrees in trays.

HeaterMeals 3 Meal Kits and HeaterMeals EX, Designed for EXtended Storage are 12 ounces retort pouch entrees for longer shelf-life. A separate serving dish is included with all HeaterMeals pouch entrees .

Here's Why HeaterMeals EX Offer EXtended Storage

The food in HeaterMeals EX entrees is fully cooked, safety-sealed in a high barrier, flexible 4-layer foil pouch; then heated again under pressure to assure a safe, easy-to-store meal. The result is EXtended Storage without refrigeration and a ready-to-eat meal which retains its natural moisture, texture and taste.

HeaterMeals Tray Entrees

HeaterMeals 3 Pouch Entrees

Sustained Storage Temperatures ºF	Estimated Shelf-life (months)	Sustained Storage Temperatures ºF	Estimated Shelf-life (months)
60	36	60	105
70	30	70	83
80	24	80	60
90	12	90	42
100	6	100	18
110	3	110	4
120	1	120	1

Important Note:
To safeguard shelf-life, HeaterMeals must be stored at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or below. These charts refer to sustained temperatures. Since sustained temperatures are not generally encountered in other-than-air-conditioned facilities, you may be inclined to use maximum or average temperatures. The use of maximum temperatures would yield a conservative estimate, but the use of average temperatures may yield an estimate that is overly optimistic.